LEAN Voter Guides: Give Nevada and Utah Ballot Questions Your Full Attention

Preparing to vote in Nevada or Utah? LEAN’s 2026 voter guides explain proposed constitutional amendments, connect them with Lutheran social teaching, and encourage careful attention to ballot questions.

Download the Nevada Voter Guide (PDF): Covers proposed constitutional amendments concerning abortion rights and voter identification.

Download the Utah Voter Guide (PDF): Covers publication requirements for proposed constitutional amendments and a proposed 60% approval threshold for tax-related citizen initiatives.

Key Voting Deadlines Arrive October 19–23

Key voting deadlines fall October 19–23: Navajo Nation mail-ballot applications are due October 19, Clark County’s online registration window with mail-ballot eligibility ends October 20, and Arizona mail-ballot requests and Utah registration are due October 23. With Arizona early voting underway and Nevada early voting October 17–30, review our nonpartisan guide to prepare for November 3.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardOctober 9, 2026Elections and Voting Rights, Church and Society, AdvocacyComment

Bishop Hutterer Joins Arizona Faith Leaders’ Call for a Peaceful Election

Bishop Deborah K. Hutterer joins Arizona faith leaders in calling for a peaceful 2026 election grounded in human dignity and care for neighbors. Read the shared statement and watch the accompanying video for practical ways to encourage informed participation, protect voters and election workers, counter misinformation and practice peacemaking—before and after Election Day.

LEAN Voter Guides: Give Nevada and Utah Ballot Questions Your Full Attention

Preparing to vote in Nevada or Utah? LEAN’s 2026 voter guides explain proposed constitutional amendments, connect them with Lutheran social teaching, and encourage careful attention to ballot questions.

Download the Nevada Voter Guide (PDF): Covers proposed constitutional amendments concerning abortion rights and voter identification.

Download the Utah Voter Guide (PDF): Covers publication requirements for proposed constitutional amendments and a proposed 60% approval threshold for tax-related citizen initiatives.

Brunch and Ballots: Gather at Holy Trinity in Chandler October 15

Gather October 15, 2026, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 739 W. Erie Street, Chandler, for a free, nonpartisan Community Voting Celebration. Enjoy food, ballot education, Peacekeeper training, and transportation to an official ballot drop-off for participants with completed ballots. All are welcome at this interfaith open house—come when you can. Register here.

Your October Voting Checklist: Key Dates Before November 3

Make your voting plan for November 3: Arizona early voting begins October 7, Nevada early voting begins October 17, and Navajo Nation absentee ballot applications are due October 19 at 5 p.m. Utah’s registration deadline and Arizona’s mail-ballot request deadline follow on October 23. Review our nonpartisan guide for registration options, ballot-return rules, and official resources across the synod.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardOctober 5, 2026Elections and Voting Rights, Church and Society, AdvocacyComment

For the Common Good: A Lutheran Resource for Election Season

For the Common Good: Prayers and Resources for Congregations in Public Life offers Lutheran theological grounding, worship materials and practical ideas for faithful, nonpartisan civic engagement during the fall 2026 election season.

Pastors, deacons, worship planners, councils and advocacy teams are invited to download the resource and adapt its hymns, intercessions, prayer services and other tools for communities across the Grand Canyon Synod. Help your congregation respond to anxiety and division with prayer, truthful discernment, humility and love of neighbor.

Election Reminders: Voting Registration Deadlines Are Near

Preparing for November 3? Arizona’s October 5 registration deadline and Nevada’s October 6 standard registration deadline are approaching. Utah’s registration deadline is October 23; Navajo Nation absentee ballot requests are due October 19. Read this week’s reminder for official links, ballot-return requirements, and the separate Navajo Nation election deadlines.

Grand Canyon SynodBrian FlatgardSeptember 28, 2026Elections and Voting Rights, Church and Society, AdvocacyComment

New Guide Helps Congregations Plan for Election-Related Disruption

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona has released an eight-page guide to help congregations prepare for potential election-related disruption, from misinformation and intimidation to division and uncertainty. Grounded in Lutheran commitments to truth-telling, peace and care for neighbors, the resource includes discussion scenarios and a practical readiness checklist.

Congregations are encouraged to identify a response team, trusted information sources, a spokesperson and key emergency contacts now. Read the full article and download the guide.

Bishop Hutterer: Vote with Confidence

Bishop Deborah Hutterer invites the people of the Grand Canyon Synod to approach the November 3 election with prayer, confidence, and care for their neighbors. She offers key voting deadlines, reassurance about voting by mail, and a call to seek and share trustworthy information as an expression of faithful civic engagement.

BJC: Religious Freedom in the Classroom, at the Polls, and in Our Congregations

BJC’s September newsletter offers practical resources for congregations on religion in public schools, nonpartisan election engagement, and immigration-enforcement preparedness. It also includes upcoming events, a profile of The Black Seminarians Table, and a September 20 internship deadline. Read the full BJC newsletter.

Vote the Whole Ballot: A Lutheran Guide to Arizona’s Propositions

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona has released its 2026 Voter Guide, providing nonpartisan, faith-based analysis of all eight statewide propositions on Arizona’s fall ballot. LAMA recommends voting no on four measures and takes no position on four others, explaining each conclusion through ELCA social teaching and concern for human dignity, vulnerable neighbors, and the common good.

Arizona voters and congregations are encouraged to download, read, and share the guide—and to vote all the way to the end of the ballot.

Bishop Curry Calls Lutherans to Be “Trusted Messengers” This Election Season

ELCA Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry calls Lutherans to be “faithful, informed and engaged” this election season—and to serve as trusted messengers in a time when misinformation can undermine trust and participation. Grounding civic engagement in our baptismal calling, love of neighbor and the commandment not to bear false witness, Bishop Curry encourages congregations and individuals to seek accurate information, participate thoughtfully and help strengthen their communities.

His Aug. 19 message also highlights new ELCA election resources, including the ELCA Election Engagement Toolkitand a Sept. 3 toolkit launch webinar. Read Bishop Curry’s full message and explore the resources →

Bishop Curry, ELCABrian FlatgardAugust 21, 2026Bishop Curry Letters, Elections and Voting Rights, Church and SocietyComment

Civic Engagement as Discipleship: A Lutheran Call to Vote and Advocate

The ELCA’s latest advocacy blog explores how civic engagement—including voting—is a vital expression of Lutheran discipleship, grounded in our call to serve the neighbor and seek the common good. The piece highlights both the theological foundations for participation in public life and ongoing challenges to equitable access, including voter suppression and recent legal developments affecting voting rights.

As the church continues its nonpartisan public witness, Lutherans are encouraged to engage faithfully—through voting, advocacy, and supporting fair access for all—while remaining rooted in prayer and a commitment to justice. Read more and access the full article here.

ELCABrian FlatgardMay 4, 2026Church and Society, Elections and Voting Rights, Advocacy, ELCA AdvocacyComment

Take Action by October 20: Protect Every American’s Right to Vote

A new proposal could restrict voter registration by requiring costly and hard-to-access documents like passports—potentially excluding 21 million eligible Americans. The Election Assistance Commission is taking public comments until October 20. Add your voice as a person of faith who believes every vote is sacred. Read the full post and submit your comment today.

Guiding Congregations Through the Post-Election Season: A Toolkit for Church Leaders

Equip your congregation to navigate the post-election season with Faith+Lead’s free 2024 Election Toolkit. Filled with resources for fostering empathy, addressing complex issues, and promoting Gospel values over partisanship, this toolkit offers practical guidance for preaching, teaching, and living out justice and faith. Access these tools to help diffuse tension and encourage understanding as we walk together through challenging times. Learn more

Woven Together: A Post-Election Message from Bishop Eaton

The day after the 2024 presidential election, Bishop Eaton reflects on the many expressions of our church being woven together as strands of a large tapestry, even as individually people are experiencing joy or grief. She reminds us that regardless of who is elected president or to other leadership positions in our country, our call to be Christ in the world doesn’t change. View on YouTube or in this post, or download here.

“As we're moving through these next years, no matter what happens and what befalls … imagine all of us woven together and in Christ, and we will continue to serve the gospel and to serve the world.”

Bishop Eaton, ELCA, Letters, NewsBrian FlatgardNovember 7, 2024Bishop Eaton Letters, Church and Society, Elections and Voting RightsComment

Bishop Hutterer: A Message of Peace and Hope after the Election

As I reflect on the election results in our nation and in our swing-states synod, I recognize that emotions across our communities are varied and deeply felt. For some, there is joy and hope; for others, uncertainty and worry. In this moment, we turn our gaze once again toward Jesus, our unchanging source of comfort and strength in uncertain times.

For those who are filled with joy today, I ask for your prayers, support, and compassion toward those who may feel fearful or lost. For those who are anxious, may you know the comfort of a God who holds you close. Jesus sustains us all, inviting us into a spirit of action and healing, no matter the season or the outcome.

Bridging Divides: How Lutherans Can Foster Peace in Polarized Times

In a time of deep political tension, the ELCA calls on its congregations to be peacemakers. Anxiety around potential violence is high, yet our faith community has a unique role to play. Reflecting on the call to witness peace, truth, and reconciliation, the ELCA provides guidance to equip Lutherans to respond with love, serve as peacemakers, and support civil servants through prayer and action. Learn how we can embody Christ’s peace and advocate for a more just and respectful society in this post from ELCA Advocacy.

ELCA, NewsBrian FlatgardNovember 6, 2024Advocacy, ELCA Advocacy, Church and Society, Elections and Voting RightsComment

Voices of Faith, Votes for Justice: Coming Together in Prayer

In the spirit of unity and peace, join us in two interfaith gatherings to pray for a just election. The Arizona Faith Network invites everyone to a Statewide Prayer Vigil on Monday, November 4, and an Interfaith Meditation on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5. These events offer a chance for collective reflection, peacekeeping, and prayer as we exercise our democratic rights. View info on these gatherings and more at Arizona Faith Network’s weekly newsletter.

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